State Sen. Orie Takes Stand In Corruption Trial

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – State Sen. Jane Orie took the stand in her corruption trial on Monday.

Prosecutors say she and her sister, Janine, illegally used the senator’s staff for campaign work. That is something Sen. Orie said she never asked them to do.

She told jurors that when she once found out an intern had mistakenly printed a legislative document on campaign letterhead, she became furious. She said she told everyone within earshot, “This will not happen in my legislative office.”

For hours on the stand, Orie recounted memos and emails that dated back to 2001. Her defense attorneys tried to frame her as a methodical, credible legislator who considers ethics a No. 1 priority of her service.

She and her sister, Janine, are on trial for allegedly allowing campaign work to be performed by Orie’s state-funded staff. The prosecution says it cost taxpayers time and money when the staff allegedly performed work to benefit a third sister, State Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin.

The defense says any campaign work for her sister or for Orie herself was done on personal or comp time and they used dozens of communication between Orie and her former chief of staff to try to prove that.

For example:

– “No political work in office. Use comp time, lunch, etc.”
– “Please do (political work) on personal accounts. Make sure calls are made outside the office.”
– “We do need to be vigilant about comp work outside the office. … Want rules followed.”

The trial resumes Tuesday. Orie still faces cross examination by the prosecution.

So we are to believe that because of a directive she gave 10 yeas ago makes her immune for what she ordered done for her sister’s campaign? We are also to believe that all of the prosecution witnesses, many of whom are pro-Orie, for some reason or another are lying about her involvement. Bottom line is she felt above the law.

It is common practice for politicians to use their offices for campaign work, why the selective prosecution? Could it be her, sister Joan won the Pa. Supreme Court race? This is a vendetta pure and simple I hope the jury sees through this injustice.

Oh lookie here, Kathleen just got a 10-pack pleniary indulgence ticket from the Orie oracle! Check out the back of the tickets—“Vote Orie”

There’s something mentally wrong with these Oral girls. They wear the same style of clothes, they get their hair done the same, etc. They’re freaks. They always have that same scowl on their faces. Why don’t they get their teeth fixed, for cripes sake?

Selective prosecution? Gimme a freakin break. The Ories are goin to the Big House.

I agree, they should have had a make-over and a personal shopper.
That said, they don’t deserve the big house, if they do, then start rounding up
numerous Pa. politicians County, State, Federal. & all on the take with lobbyists..

And despite numerous directives from Jane to employees telling them they are not allowed to campaign for her on state time, employees willfully ignored her directives, signed them and had them placed in their files and then broke the law without her consent or knowledge.

And none of them was ever reprimanded or put on probation or had a written memo of discipline placed in their files for doing this.